CAREER: Evolutionary Disease Ecology- Can evolutionary responses to environmental change modify the biodiversity-disease relationship?

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Understanding patterns of emerging infectious diseases is at the forefront of global interest. This research asks: “Why are some communities more vulnerable to diseases than others?" To address this broad question, this work focuses on understanding how biodiversity influences community disease risk. While many studies find that communities with higher biodiversity have lower disease risk, some studies show no effect of biodiversity on disease risk and others even find the opposite effect (i.e. communities with higher biodiversity have higher disease risk). Overall, the idea that biodiversity can reduce disease risk is attractive because it suggests that protecting biodiversity has clear benefits to both nature and society. This research tests the central hypothesis that cryptic differences in population’s responses to past conditions (i.e. evolutionary history) plays an important role in understanding when biodiversity will reduce disease risk. This CAREER award will develop a summer research and outreach program that supports undergraduate artists, engineers, biologists, and educators and a 3rd grade citizen science training program.The Biodiversity-Disease (BDD) Relationship has generated considerable attention as a theoretical framework for predicting community disease outcomes. Yet, limited consensus on the generality of the BDD relationship has been reached leading to repeated calls to uncover factors shaping the magnitude and direction of the BDD relationship. This research tests the hypothesis that intraspecific host variation, generated by divergent evolutionary histories, plays a cryptic role in shaping the direction and magnitude of the BDD relationship. To this end, the research focuses on amphibian host-parasite interactions and takes advantage of an experimentally tractable group of focal wood frog populations that exhibit intraspecific variation in parasite susceptibility as a result of evolving in contrasting environments. The researchers will first, evaluate the contribution of intraspecific variation to shaping the BDD relationship by generating mesocosm communities that vary in amphibian host species diversity and focal host intraspecific diversity. Second, to integrate ecological context into our understanding of how intraspecific variation influences the BDD relationship, the researchers will conduct lab and mesocosm studies testing whether intraspecific variation in focal hosts can shape the BDD relationship by modifying (a) competitive, (b) predator-prey, or (c) host microbiota interactions. Third, to complement the controlled experimental studies, the researchers will conduct a citizen-led field surveys to evaluate whether intraspecific variation modifies the BDD relationship in more complex natural ecosystems. Towards this aim, the researchers will develop a two-step integrated education-research program: (1) Content development: Researchers will design an interdisciplinary program where undergraduates work with local communication and education experts to develop a citizen training program. (2) Implementation: Citizens will complete training program and collect field data that contributes to the overarching research goals. Collectively, this integration will facilitate citizen data collection efforts, diversify STEM training and engagement, and broaden access to authentic research opportunities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.